Pathfinder - The Witch Handbook

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handbooks. Also note that many colored items are also links to the Paizo SRD.

Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational.

Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances

Green: Good options.

Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character.

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Introduction

Witch Class Features

Hit Points: d6 hit points is bad, but standard for full
casters.

Base Attack Bonus: 1/2 BAB, and nothing to complement it.
Fortunately you should very rarely need to make attacks.

Saves: Will is the Witch's only good save, and the
Witch has no dependence on other abilities. Fortunately the Witch is very SAD, so you
have room to improve abilities which fuel your saves.

Proficiencies: Simple weapons, and no armor or shields.
Fortunately you shouldn't really need any weapons, and Haramaki and a Mithral Buckler
don't require proficiency.

Skills: 2+ skill ranks is very meager, but the Witch
needs high Intelligence for spells, so you should get plenty of skill ranks. Unfortunately
the Witch's skill list is very slim, and only has a few important options. 20 Intelligence
will easily allow you to maximize all of the Witch's important skills.

Spells: Witch's get spells and spells per day at the
same rate as a Wizard, and can learn new spells in much the same way. The biggest
distinctions are the Witch's spell list and the fact that Witches store their spells
in their Familiar instead of in a book.

Cantrips: Fantastic and versatile.

Hex: Hexes are fantastic supplements to the Witch's
spells. For help selecting Hexes, see my
Witch Hex Breakdown.

Witch's Familiar (Ex): Familiars are always fantastic,
and their ability to store your spells is a cool part of the Witch's flavor.

Patron: Much like the Sorcerer's bloodline, the Witch's
Patron provides bonus spells of each spell level one level after you gain access to
that spell level. Many of these spells are no on the Witch's spell list, and it is
often a good idea to build your Witch to complement your Patron spells. For help
selecting a Witch Patron, see my
Witch Patron Breakdown.

Major Hex: See Hex, above.

Grand Hex: See Hex, above.

Abilities

The Witch's abilities are largely identical to the Wizard's.

In addition to normal ability considerations, Witches can also make excellent use
of the aging rules. Being middle-aged gives you a -1 penalty to your physical abilities,
but gets you a pleasant +1 to your mental ability scores. However, this can be a problem
for your already low reflex and fortitude saves.

Str: Dump to 7 unless you're polymorphing.

Dex: Important for Reflex saves and the Witch's meager
AC.

Con: Important for Fortitude saves and hit points.

Int: The Witch's spellcasting ability. As a full caster
with no martial options, Intelligence is everything.

Wis: Helpful for Will saves, but not particularly
important because Will si the Witch's only good save.

Cha: Dump to 7.

25 Point Buy

20 Point Buy

15 Point Buy

Elite Array

Str: 7

Dex: 14

Con: 14

Int: 18

Wis: 14

Cha: 7

Str: 7

Dex: 14

Con: 14

Int: 18

Wis: 11

Cha: 7

Str: 7

Dex: 12

Con: 12

Int: 18

Wis: 12

Cha: 7

Str: 8

Dex: 14

Con: 13

Int: 15

Wis: 12

Cha: 10

Races

Intelligence bonuses are crucial. Other racial abilities are nice, but can't compete
with an Intelligence bonus.

Dwarf: Nothing useful for the Witch.

Elf: Bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence are fantastic,
and the Elf's racial bonuses work well for any full caster. The Elf favored class
bonus grants additional spells, but Witches' familiars can learn more spells from other
familiars in much the same way that Wizards can add additional spells to their
spellbooks.

Gnome: A decent choice if you want a small Witch or a
Witch focused on illusions, and the Gnome favored class bonus grants additional Hexes.

Half-Elf: The flexible ability bonus is great, but the
Half-Elf can't quite match the Elf. The Half-Elf has the same favored class bonus as
the Elf, and it's still not great. Half-Elves can take the Human favored class bonus,
but that's also the same as the Elf's.

Half-Orc: The same issues as the Half-Elf, but their
favored class bonus adds skill ranks to your familiar. Familiars use their master's
skill modifiers if their master's modifier is higher, so it makes more sense to add
the skill ranks to yourself. Half-Orcs can take the Human favored class bonus, but
it's not particularly good.

Halfling: Similar to the Gnome, but better for Stealth
than for illusions. The Halfling favored class bonus adds a Caster Level bonus to
your Patron spells which can be very powerful if your Patron's spells are strongly
affected by caster level.

Human: A flexible ability modifier and a bonus feat
are fantastic on any character. The bonus skill ranks are nice, but with 20 starting
Intelligence you're probably already running out of useful class skills.

Skills

Fly (Dex): One rank is plenty.

Heal (Wis): A nice complement to magical healing,
but characters with more Wisdom will be able to provide more healing.

Intimidate (Cha): A Witch is not a Face.

Knowledge (arcana) (Int): One of the most important
Knowledge skills in the game.

Knowledge (history) (Int): Situational, and very
dependent on the campaign.

Knowledge (nature) (Int): One of the more important
Knowledge skills in the game, but not as important as Arcana or Planes.

Knowledge (planes) (Int): One of the most important
Knowledge skills in the game.

Use Magic Device (Cha): Witches get a huge spell list,
and Charisma is a dump stat, so there is little reason to use UMD.

Feats

This section does not cover metamagic feats or item creation feats feats.
For help with metamagic feats, see my
Practical Guide to Metamagic.

Accursed Hex: Many of the best Hexes can only
affect a single target one time per day. Accursed Hex allows you to try again.
This is particularly useful for save or suck hexes.

Combat Casting: A +4 bonus to your concentration
checks when casting defensively is tempting, but you should not be casting defensively
often enough to justify spending a feat on it. Optimizing Concentration is very
easy, and you can do it with traits and items instead of wasting a feat.

Eschew Materials: Not a lot of spells have material
components which are covered by this feat, and you can buy a spell component pouch
for the rest.

Extra Hex: Hexes are fantastic.

Improved Familiar: You have a familiar, and getting
a better one can get you access to some very cool choices.

Improved Initiative: Go first, and get control of
the combat early.

Spell Hex: Only usable 3/day. Unless you plan
to take Quick Spell-Like Ability, this is easily replaced by 3 1st-level pearls
of power.

Split Hex: Many low level Hexes continue their
usefulness into high levels, and this can double their efficiency.

Split Major Hex: Split Hex, but with much
better options.

Weapons

Light Crossbow: A decent backup weapon at low
levels when you run low on spells, but you will be more reliable with cantrips
because your attack rolls will be so low.

Armor

Armor is presented in the order in which you should acquire it, rather than
alphabetical order.

Haramaki: +1 AC, no arcane spell failure, and
at 5 gp you can afford it at first level.

Cross-Classing and Prestige Classes

Don't, unless you have a specific concept in mind. If you must multiclass,
try very hard to not give up spellcaster levels. Also keep in mind that classes
which give you spellcasting do not allow you to learn spells for free
when you gain levels.